Nest-box for fowls.



. PATENTED OCT. 1, 1907.

A. D. GROSLET,

NEST BOX FORIFOWLS. APPLICATION FILED 23.14, 1907.

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ALBERT D. GROSLEY, O1 JEWELL, IOWA.

NEST-BOX FOR FowLs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907.

Application filed February 14,1907. Serial No. 357,360.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALBERT D. CnosLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jewell, in the county of Hamilton and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Nest-Boxes for Fowls;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

.This invention relates to improvements in nest boxes for fowls.

The object of the invention is to providea nest box having means wherebybut one fowl is permitted to enter the box at the same time, means beingprovided whereby the weight of the eggs deposited in the box will becounterbalanced so as not to interfere with the operating mechanism ofthe box.

A further object is to provide means wherebya fowl entering the box maybe trapped and prevented from leaving the same.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view ofthe nest box, showing the position of the parts when not in use; Fig. 2is a similar view, showing the position of the parts when the box isoccupied; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the box with the parts in theposition shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional viewthrough the box.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the box, whichmay be of any suitable shape,

but which is here shown and is preferably oblong and is open at itsbottom and front end, as shown. In the rear end of the box is formed aventilatingopening covered by a screen 2. In the open lower side of thebox is arranged a loose bottom 3, said bottom being pivoted midwaybetween its ends upon a transversely-disposed rod or bar 4, preferablyseated in a groove or channel 5 formed across the lower side of thebottom. The latter is detachably held in position on said rod by meansof a turn-button 6' or other suitable fastening device.

The bottom 3 is provided on its upper side with upwardly-projecting sideand rear flanges 7 and with an intermediate flange 8, which forms at therear end of the bottom a nest box or receptacle 9. Pivotally-mountedbetween the forward ends of the side flanges upon atransversely-disposed pivot rod or bar 10 is a tilting platform 12, onthe under side of which is secured a spring-pawl 13. The pawl 13 isadapted to engage a notched bar or rack 14 secured centrally upon asliding counterbalancing board or plate 15, which is slidably mounted insuitable guidcways 1.6 in the lower side of the front portion of thebottom, as shown. The outer end of the counterbalancing plate or board15 is preferably weighted by a transversely-disposed bar 17. The

' object of the counter-balancing plate or board is to compensate forthe weight of the cggo dcporitxl into the receptacle at the other end ofthe bottom, the board being moved outwardly to the extent of one notchon the rack bar 14 for each egg laid in the receptacle at the oppositeend of the bottom. The plate or board 15 is moved outwardly through theaction of the fowls in walking inwardly across the tilting platform 12,the

latter being pressed'down by the weight of the fowl on the inner endthereof, thus causing the pawl 13 on the under side thereof and inengagement with the rack bar to force the counterbalancing.plate orboard outwardly to the extent of one tooth, this distance beingsufficient to equalize or compensate for the weight of each egg laid inthe opposite end of the bottom. As the [owl leaves the box and stepsupon the outer end of the tilting platform 12, the inner end of the samewill be elevated, thus drawing the pawl back into engagement with thenext inner tooth of the rack bar.

Pivotally-mounted at its upper end between the inner sides of the frontor open end of the nest box is a gate or door 18, the same being hereshown and is preferably of slatted construction. On the upper endadjacent to one side of the gate or door is an inwardlyprojecting crankarm 19, to the inner end of which is connected the upper end of anoperating rod 20. The lower end of the rod 20 is loosely connected tothe outer end of the pivoted platform 12. The weight of the outer end ofthe bottom is suflicient to swing the gate or door 18 upwardly to anopen position, thus permitting a fowl to enter the box. As the fowlpasses across the platform 12 to the nest portion or inner end of thebottom, the weight of the fowl will be sufficient to tilt the rear endof the bottom downwardly and the forward end upwardly, thereby swingingthe gate downwardly to a closed position, the gate remaining in thisposition as long as the fowl is at the inner end of the bottom on whichthe nest is arranged. As soon as the fowl has laid and approaches theforward end ofthe box her weight upon the outer or forward end of thebottom will tilt said end downwardly, thereby drawing upon theconnecting rod or bar 20 and causing the same to swing the gate upwardlyto an open position, thus permitting the fowl to leave the box.

Should it be desired to trap any of the fowls entering the box asuitable locking bar 21 is provided, said bar being here shown and ispreferably provided adjacent to its opposite ends with guide eyes orloops 22, by means of which it is held in sliding engagement withvertically-disposed guide rods 23 arranged on eachv side of the door atthe forward open end of the box. The bar 21 rests upon the door or gate,so that when the same is brought to a closed position by the weight ofthe fowl on the inner end of the bottom, said bar will drop to the lowerends of the guide rods 23, thus falling in front of the door andpreventing the same from being swung upwardly to an open position untilthe bar is again raised to a position at the top of the box. The guidebars or rods 23 are preferably provided at their upper ends withrearwardly-extending right angularlybent projections 24 with which thelocking bar is adapted to be engaged and held in an inoperative positionabove the door.

In the top of the box at the rear end thereof over the nest portion ofthe bar is arranged a hinged door 25 by means of which access may be hadto the eggs deposited at the inner end of the bottom.

While I have shown and described a single form of box, it is obvious andit is the intention when building the same, that they be built in aseries of two or more, the interior construction of each being the sameso that the description and illustration of one will be sufficient forall. When constructing the boxes in series, the pivot rod 4 whichsupports the tilting bottom will preferably be continuous throughout theseries. By constructing the bottom or operating portion of the box asherein shown and described, the same may be readily taken apart forcleaning or other purposes and after the eggs have been removed from thereceptacle at the inner end of the bottom, the counterbalancing board ismanually pushed in by disengaging the pawl on the lower end of thetilting platform from the rack bar on said plate.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined by theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is

1. A nest box having arranged therein a pivotally mounted bottom havinga tilting platform mounted on its front end, a hinged door arranged atthe front end of said box, means for connecting said door to the frontend of the platform whereby said door is closed on the en trance of afowl in the box, means for counter-balancing the weight of the eggsdeposited on the inner end of the pivoted bottom and means connectedwith said platform to move said counter-balancing; means outward a predetermined distance actuated by the passage of a fowl in and out of thebox.

2. A nest box for fowls having an open bottom, and an open front end, apivotaliy mounted bottom arranged in the lower open side of the box, anegg receiving compartment on the inner end of said bottom, a pivotallymounted door adapted to close the open front end of the box, a crank armon the upper end of said door, a rod connecting said crank arm to theforward end of the bottom whereby the weight of said end will hold thedoor in an open position, a connterbalaneing board slidablyanounted inthe forward end of the bottom, and means actuated by the passage of afowl in and out of the box to movesaid board outwardly, substantially asdescribed.

3. A nest box for fowls having an open bottom and an open forward end apivotally mounted bottom arranged in the lower open side of the box, anegg receiving compait ment on the inner end of said bottom, apivotally-mounted door adapted to close the open forward end of the box,a crank arm on the upper end of said door, a rod connecting said crankarm to the forward end of the bottom, whereby the weight of said endwill hold the door in an open position, a counterbalancing boardslidahly-inounted in the forward end of the bottom, a tilting platformpivotally mounted in the forward end of the bottom. and means on saidplatform to engage said counterbalaneing plate and move the sameoutwardly to a predetermined distance each time a fowl passes acrosssaid platform, substantially as described.

4. A nest box for fowls having an open bottom and an open forward end, apivotally-mouuted bottom arranged in the lower open side of the box, anreceiving compartment on the inner end of said bottom, apivotally-mounted door adapted to close the open forward end of the box,a crank arm on the upper end of said door, a rod connecting said crankarm to the forward end of the bottom, whereby the weight of said endwill hold the door in an open post tion, a eounterlmlancing boardslidablyauounled in the forward end of the bottom, a rack bar on saidcounterbalancing plate, a pivotally-monnted platform arranged in theforward end of the bottom above said plate, a pawl carried by saidplatform to consecutively engage the teeth of said rack bar, wherebyupon the passage of a fowl lh'lt'll and forth across the platform, thelatter will be actuated to force the board or counterbalancing plateoutwardly. substantially as described.

5. A nest box for fowls having an open lower side and forward end, abottom pivot'ally-mouutied in said lower open side, a doorhingedly-inounted in said forward open end, means whereby the door isheld in an open position by the weight of the forward end of theplatform and closed by the weight of a fowl on the inner end of the sameand a slidably-mounted locking bar adapted to automatically hold saiddoor in closed position when said bar is arranged in an operativeposition, substantially as dc scribed.

G. A nest box for fowls having open lower and front; ends and aventilating opening in its rear end covered by a wire netting, a bottompivotally arranged in the said open lower end, a slatted door hiugedlymounted in the for ward open end of the box, a crank arm on said door, arod connecting said crank arm to the front end of said bottom, wherebythe weight of the latter will hold said door in an open position andwhereby the weight of the fowl on the inner end of the bottom will closesaid door, guide rods arranged on the forward end of the box, a lockingbar slidably mounted on said guide rods to drop in front of the doorwhen in a closed position, means on the upper end of: said guide rods tohold said locking bar in an inoperative position, and means arranged inthe bottom of the box to counterbalance the weight of the eggs depositedon the innenend of said bottom, substantially s described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ALBERT D. CROSLEY.

Witnesses I. .T. Saxns, ALPnnus ALnxANnun.

